You are not a true blue Bengali unless you have spent half your life’s earnings on eating. On the other front, this gluttonous hunger has helped develop over the ages a unique cuisine which is extremely sophisticated in its use of ingredients and is unparalleled by the sheer number of cooking techniques.
Khai Khai’ is a Bengali’s inimitable quest for food which only another Bengali can empathize with. You are not a true blue Bengali unless you have spent half your life’s earnings on eating. On the other front, this gluttonous hunger has helped develop over the ages a unique cuisine which is extremely sophisticated in its use of ingredients and is unparalleled by the sheer number of cooking techniques.
I, being brought up in a very liberal family, am not a gastronomical bigot and am absolutely free of any cultural or religious or social taboo. Hence, unlike most Bengalis who would be scouring even the permafrost of Antarctica in search of ‘Sorse Ilish’ (Hilsa cooked in mustard gravy), I would rather settle happily with a barbecued Seal. Having travelled most of India and experimenting with various regional cuisines, I have found India a smorgasbord of cultural heritage and local cuisines but quintessentially Indian in character.
I have been fascinated by the earthy tandoori chicken, ‘dal makhni’ (a rich form of lentil gravy with loads of butter) and ‘sarson da saag’ (a mushy flavourful dish made with mustard leaves) of Amritsar. Never being a great advocate of vegetarianism, I was floored by some of the best vegetarian delicacies which I had in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The dishes I would particularly like to mention are ‘sangri ki sabzi’ (a heavenly composition of dried ‘sangri’ which is a type of thin small beans in their pods indigenous to desert regions and cashew nuts), ‘bajra roti’ (a kind of unleavened millet flatbread) served with copious quantities of ghee (clarified butter) and ‘seo tamatar ki sabzi’ (a yellow thick curry with tomatoes and ‘seo’. Seo looks like thick, short yellow spaghetti prepared from a paste of Split Bengal Gram- deep fried into thin sticks and air dried).
Uttapam
Avial
Bajra Roti
Dal Makhni
Rista
Kashmiri Roganjosh
Sangri ki Sabzi
Sarson ka Saag
Seo Tamatar ki Sabzi
Uttapam
Avial
Bajra Roti
I love the subtlety of Kashmiri food especially their meat items like ‘Kashmiri Roganjosh’, ‘Gustaba’ and ‘Rista’; the amazing array of Nawabi cuisines of Lucknow and Hyderabad; the ‘Chaats’ of Varanasi; crisp ‘Dosa’, ‘Uttapam’ and ‘Avial’ from the southern states of India and the spicy ‘Keema Pao’ and ‘Vada Pao’ of Mumbai.
Banglasphere
Yet, the mere range and complexity of ‘Banglasphere’ gastronomy is unrivalled. By Banglasphere, I mean the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh together.
The incorrigible Bengali epicure
Before stating further, let me confess. Being a proud Bengali myself, I definitely am a prototype of this character. A Bengali’s kitchen is sacred territory, a mix of folklore and home. Food is a part of our history and heritage. The secrets are being passed through generations, not through documented recipes but through watch-and-learn, cook-and-learn and taste-and-learn; every ‘ma’ (mother) being better than her ‘meye’ (daughter), unable to break free from the umbilical cord. The only member of the bloodline who could surpass the ‘ma’ would be the ‘thakuma’ or the ‘didima’ (grandmother).
The ideal urban Bengali ‘babu’ (gentleman) goes hunting every day and gathers the best and the freshest of raw materials from the market to satisfy his family’s taste buds, convinced that bland health food is for weaker souls. It is sacrilegious not to argue with the ‘sobjiwala’ (vegetable seller) or his female equivalent, the ‘sobjiwali’ over the quality of produce. Quality comes first and price always later and of course a face saving exit if it proves unaffordable.
A typical fish market in Kolkata
The fussy and know-all ‘babu’ is in supreme command when he enters the ‘machher bajar’ (fish market). The ‘machhwala’ (fish monger) will be stretched to the limits of his vast reservoir of patience as the ‘babu’ scrutinizes the freshness of the fish by expertly prising open the gills to check if it is of the acceptable hue of darkest reddish pink. Not satisfied with just one test, he prods the flesh of the fish to check if it is tolerably firm. Some varieties like ‘Koi’ (Climbing Gourami), ‘Shingi’ (Stinging Catfish), ‘Magur’ (Walking Catfish), etc. are to be rejected outright if not demonstrably alive.
Weird food in a weird world. 20 bizarre foods for the world traveller. Weird food is a subjective term- Food is merely a matter of taste.
Weird food in a weird world: revolting, gross, stinking, putrid or simply unconventional by general standards. Increasingly, the world is becoming smaller by the day. Intercontinental travel is no more the exclusive prerogative of the super-rich. We all travel and travel a lot. And, we need to eat during our sojourn. Don’t we? So, either you can choose from the menu, the most non-challenging item on your senses to barely survive; or you can be audacious and seize this opportunity to try out new things, enjoy and understand the local culture and often, history. Who knows? You might fall in love with it.
Weird food rather is more of a subjective term. Chances are, what may be outlandish to me may not be the same to you. Therefore, we should familiarise ourselves, as much as we can, with this wondrous world of polarising tastes and palates.
The age-old axiom that things are merely a matter of taste is perhaps most applicable to food and drinks. For instance, is a hardboiled fertilised duck egg really revolting- or is it just a matter of taste? We Indians have our fair share of unusual foods- Jadoh from Meghalaya (rice cooked with blood and entrails of pigs or chicken), Doh Khlieh also from Meghalaya (pork and onion salad garnished with steamed pig’s brain), Chaprah from Chhattisgarh (a spicy and pungent chutney made from red ants), Eri Polu from Assam (silkworm pupae), and many more. Kutti Pi Curry is a dish from Anglo-Indian cuisine, which is prepared from the flesh of an unborn foetus from a goat. It is a delicacy savoured by many people in southern India, as well as in some South-East Asian countries. But, most of us common folks would reel in disgust! Another is Kheeri, made from cow’s udder. This spicy dish is quite popular in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is one of my personal favourites, though others might think otherwise.
Chaprah
Doh Khlieh
Eri Polu
Kutti Pi Curry
Ironically, our inquisitiveness about weird food or to put it mildly- unusual food, has no bounds and weirdly we find nothing weird about it. So much so that, the city of Malmö in Sweden has its own “Disgusting Food Museum” dedicated to the edible or arguably inedible foods around the world.
I have compiled a list of 20 such bizarre foods for you who have been bitten by the bug of wan·der·lust.
#1 Shirako, Japan
As the euphemisms go, Japanese shirako is a corker. Shirako means “white children”. These are the sperm sacs of cod or pufferfish or angler fish which look like white globules of slush- somewhat like sweetbreads or brain. Its texture is soft, creamy and buttery when raw. If cooked, it becomes a little more firm. Shirako is mainly available during the winters. Shirako is an acquired taste. If it bothers you, you may well look at it as the male version of caviar which is the epitome of snobbery.
Shirako
#2 Hákarl, Iceland– Weird Food
Hákarl is Iceland’s national dish. Made from fermented Greenland shark, it is one of the most appallingly ghastly foodstuff humankind has ever invented. The fermented meat is served in bite-size cubes and is available even as a vacuum-packed ready-to-eat at supermarkets in Iceland. It has an extremely strong ammonia smell very much close to urine, or say a blue cheese, only a hundred times stronger. (Bengalis have their own version, though nowhere close to this Icelandic monstrosity)
Many stalwarts in the food business like Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Andrew Zimmern had been completely decimated after tasting hákarl.
Hakarl
#3 Century Egg, China– Weird Food
Century egg is an established delicacy in China. The egg is placed in a vat containing black tea, salt, lime, and wood ashes and left to rot anywhere between seven weeks to five months. Over the period the yolk becomes greenish-blackish in colour and stinks of sulphur. The outer layer develops into a translucent jelly-like texture. Not very appealing, I guess! That’s hard stuff! Eaten as a snack, you might just enjoy it while others might squirm.
Smart Dining is a modern-day concept applied by food and beverage (F&B) outlets to optimize revenue generation without compromising customer satisfaction.
How to become a smart diner? Smart Dining is a modern-day concept applied by food and beverage (F&B) outlets to optimize revenue generation without compromising customer satisfaction. It implements software-driven POS (point of sale) mechanisms to reduce the gap between order-taking and serving time, automation of communication between the restaurant and the kitchen, efficient use of workforce and curtails malpractices as much as possible. This is a great innovation to boost guest turnover significantly. But you need to read between the lines. Hence, I am going to talk about smart dining from your perspective.
All of us, at some points in time, have had that sinking feeling after spending a fortune in a fine dining restaurant, that we have been duped, whether we admit it or not. Some such instances could be due to making the wrong choices of items on the menu, but many could be that you were deceived without knowing how. So, be smart and remain one step ahead.
To become a smart diner, you need to have a preliminary idea about how a restaurant operates. I have been associated with the F&B business from the beginning of my career and am heading the F&B Controls division. The primary responsibility of my department is to enhance revenue and to plug revenue leakage, thus multiplying the profitability of my organisation. You can also say, I am addressing issues relating to misappropriations, corruption and negligence. Therefore, to be an efficient member of the counter-intelligence team, one has to be fluent with the nitty-gritty of “intelligence”. But today, I am not going to talk about F&B controls and bore you to death. The only reason I mentioned this is to help you get some idea of how the controls team add value to any F&B business. And in doing so, how we (the entire industry) in the business cheat you- our unsuspecting guests. However, to let me forgo my sins, I am here to share with you some classified information that can make you smarter than the smartass restaurants.
Order wisely
Ordering wisely is the first step towards becoming a smart diner. While selecting your dishes, keep balance, especially when you are ordering à la carte. Order such that you get a variation of the colour of the dishes; differing textures; non-repetition of the same main ingredient- for instance, if you order a chicken item for the main course, do not order another chicken dish for the main course. Order some veggies or lamb/mutton or pork or beef or seafood; pair rich food with light ones. Ask the waiter or the manager about the size of the portions. Don’t feel shy. When you are paying for it, you must get your value for money and you definitely do not want to waste food or leave with a half-empty stomach. If you feel the portion size does not justify the price, avoid it. Do not ever get emotionally attached to any brand or outlet even if you had been its loyal customer and never had had any reason to complain. As with any other business, restaurants are not running a charity and the least of their concerns is your budget.
Understand the Menu Card
It is absolutely essential to understand the menu card to become a smart diner. Read the menu carefully before placing your order. Even if the item names are unfamiliar to you, the descriptions help you understand the main flavouring agents, the main ingredients, allergens if any and often the country of origin. If any specific ingredient is foreign to you, do not hesitate to ask. Good waiters will be able to guide you and some may even help you order the right combinations. On the other hand, many restaurants use floral adjectives to describe an item, such as, “velvety”, “dreamy”, “low calorie”, “cooked to perfection”, etc. Some use confusing or misleading ethnic names for very common dishes. For instance, a restaurant in Delhi where I have dined many times and am quite fond of their food uses weird names like “Chiang Mai Train Station Noodles”. If you have not dined there, I am sure you don’t have any clue what this item is all about? It is nothing but simple Burmese Khao Suey. And the funniest part- Chiang Mai is a city in Thailand that has nothing to do with Burma. These are the wiles employed by restaurants to trick you to order a dish which, maybe, you do not want at all.
Misleading names of dishes in a menu card
If you are ordering alcohol with your food, it is very important to familiarise yourself with various types of alcoholic beverages. Particularly complicated is ordering your wine. Click here to check one of my previous blogs on the same. A poor food and wine pairing can spoil your entire meal.
Be adventurous
You can never be a smart diner and a true connoisseur unless you practise playing with your food. Be brave and adventurous and face with an open mind. Trust me, there is a lot more left unexplored than you think. Do not squirm by just looking at the menu. Ask the waiter or the chef or even better, try it. Sure, you will go wrong a few times; but, as the cliché goes, “you will never know unless you try”. Once you develop the taste for such foods which you were unaccustomed to, you climb a few steps up to become a smart eater. Of course, I am not talking about food and beverages that are by and large considered weird, gross and offending. You can check here if you want to know what I mean.
Ingredients Baby potatoes- 500 g Ghee- 100 ml Asafoetida- 1/8Tsp Bay leaves- 3 nos. Cumin seeds- 1 and 1/2 Tsp Ginger- 2-inch piece (grated) Red chilli powder- 1 Tsp Cumin powder- 1 Tsp Coriander p…
Recipe of Rajasthani Dum AlooIngredients
Baby potatoes- 500 g
Ghee- 100 ml
Asafoetida- 1/8Tsp
Bay leaves- 3 nos.
Cumin seeds- 1 and 1/2 Tsp
Ginger- 2-inch piece (grated)
Red chilli powder- 1 Tsp
Cumin powder- 1 Tsp
Coriander powder- 2 Tsp
Fennel powder- 1 Tsp
Cashew nut paste- 70 g
Water- as required
Beaten curd- 1/2 cup
Garam masala powder- 1 and 1/2 Tsp
Salt- to taste
Method
Wash and parboil the baby potatoes in salted water with skin on. Let them cool and peel the skin.
Heat ghee to medium-hot and fry the parboiled potatoes to light golden colour. Remove with a perforated ladle and keep ready.
In the same oil add asafoetida, cumin seeds, and bay leaves and fry for a few seconds on low-medium heat till it is aromatic.
Add grated, ginger, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and fennel powder and fry the masala for two to three minutes. Splash frequently with water to prevent the masala from burning.
Add cashew nut paste and cook for a few minutes till oil separates.
Now pour in the fried parboiled potatoes and mix well with the masala and cook for three minutes.
Add water just to cover the potatoes. Cover and cook till the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.
Reduce the liquid if required. The gravy should be of thick consistency.
Reduce heat and add beaten curd and blend well.
Add salt and adjust seasoning.
Remove from heat, add garam masala and mix well.
Serve hot with Bajra Roti or chapati or any other Indian flatbread smeared with ghee.
He would simply sprinkle some water with his fingers on the hot oil. How he escaped unscathed is beyond my understanding.
10 cooking mistakes you must avoid and make cooking fun. My late father-in-law, bless his soul, had an unparalleled way of testing if the oil was hot enough when he decided to take over the day’s kitchen duties. He would simply sprinkle some water with his fingers on the hot oil. How he escaped unscathed is beyond my understanding. All I can say is that he definitely was an illustration of supreme eccentricity. Well, most of us do not quite follow in his footsteps, but we all make bloomers in the kitchen.
If you follow these fundamental dos and don’ts, I am sure your kitchen will be a much more organised place to work in and you will be surprised how much better your food would taste.
1. Do not add ingredients to a cold pan
In most cases, it is advisable to heat the pan and then pour oil/fat or food. Food should never touch a cold pan. It will absorb the oil making it stick to the pan instead of giving it a nice crispy exterior or a sear. Also, cooking in oil which is not sufficiently hot often results in froth formation on the surface which makes you unable to see the change in colour or texture of the ingredients. There are a few exceptions of course, like, starting with a cold pan while frying bacon.
2. Do not use the wrong knife
Use the correct knife for cutting different vegetables, fruits and meat. It makes a whole world of difference. We tend to use the pairing knife as an all-purpose knife as it is small, sleek and easy to carry. But it is not the ideal tool when working with something larger, say, a bulky vegetable like pumpkin or chicken.
The chef’s knife is a much better option for cutting meat, slicing vegetables and fruits and mincing herbs. A pairing knife should only be used when working with a small piece of food. When slicing a piece of French loaf or sourdough bread or any loaf, use a serrated knife.
3. Do your mise en place (pre-preparation) before starting with your cooking
The last thing you want in your kitchen is a messy workplace, where you cannot find the right ingredient at the right time. It irritates me no end when I see someone slicing onions using their palms as a cutting board over smoking oil in a pan. Not only is it extremely dangerous but also shows an utter lack of respect for the job.
Before lighting the stove, finish your slicing, chopping, mincing, mixing, blending, blanching, marinating and everything else that is required before you actually start with the cooking. Place a garbage bin next to where you are working, wear an apron, and tuck in a duster for wiping your hands. Keep everything arranged neatly within arm’s reach. Trust me, you will be saving a lot of time in the long run.
Professional cooks will never begin cooking unless the mise en place is ready.
4. Read the full recipe
You have decided to cook something new for your family. Noble intentions indeed! You are all pepped up for cooking with adrenaline running high. You dive right in without reading the full recipe, confident that you would read and follow as you go. Then suddenly you realise you have missed a key step and you cannot undo it now.
Not reading the full recipe before entering the kitchen is a cardinal mistake. In most cases, recipes are not written in the correct order. If you read the full recipe, you will be able to visualize the entire process and the chances of missing something become minimum.
Also, if you are cooking an item for the first time, it is advisable to follow the recipe by the book as the ingredients and the steps mentioned would be tested and proven many times over. Once you perfect the recipe you can use your own imagination to improvise.
Improvise the classic masala omelette and turn it into a delicious fluffy masala omelette. Although Indians are not very familiar.
Improvise the classic masala omelette and turn it into a delicious fluffy masala omelette. Although Indians are not very familiar with the fluffy version, what’s the harm in taking a cue from the European method and dishing out something new?
Heat a little bit of refined oil in a flat-bottomed pan just enough to coat the surface of the pan.
Add chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, finely chopped green chillies, chopped spring onions, chopped coriander leaves, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder and sauté them lightly till they become soft and homogenous in texture. Adjust seasoning
Remove from heat and keep warm in a separate container.
Separate the yolks from the whites of eggs. Season the egg yolks with salt and beat them lightly till the yellow becomes paler.
Now, stiffly beat the egg whites till they form firm peaks.
Return the masala you had made earlier to the pan and heat it gently.
Quickly and very gently fold the egg yolks into the stiffly beaten egg whites and pour them on top of the masala. Swirl the pan to set the omelette in a circular shape.
Here is my Palak Paneer recipe and the destroyed myth. Palak Paneer can be literally translated as “Indian cottage cheese in spinach-based gravy”. It is a classic Indian vegetarian dish extremely popular in the Northern, Western and Central parts of India. Made with Paneer which is Indian cottage cheese and Palak, that is, spinach, Palak […]
Here is my Palak Paneer recipe and the destroyed myth. Palak Paneer can be literally translated as “Indian cottage cheese in spinach-based gravy”. It is a classic Indian vegetarian dish extremely popular in the Northern, Western and Central parts of India.
Made with Paneer which is Indian cottage cheese and Palak, that is, spinach, Palak Paneer is believed to be so healthy that it can transform you overnight into a Desi (indigenous) version of Popeye. Or, does it really?
I shall come to the ‘destroyed myth’ part later. Let me first share with you my Palak Paneer recipe which is deliciously decadent while I make no claims about its health benefits:
Palak Paneer Recipe
Palak Paneer Ingredients:
Paneer- 200 g
Baby spinach- 150 g
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom- 4 nos.
Cinnamon- 2-inch long broken in half
Cloves- 6 nos.
Refined oil- 1+ 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies chopped- 3 nos.
Onions cut into quarters- 120 g
Tomato pureed- 2 nos. (medium size)
Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp
Cashew nuts- 15 nos.
Salt- to taste
Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)- 1 tsp
Fresh cream- 60 ml
Red chilli whole- 2 nos.
Garlic- chopped- 3 cloves
Ghee- 2 tbsp
How to make Palak Paneer
If you are using baby spinach, keep the stalks. If not, discard them. Rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly in the water a few times, place them in a colander and allow the water to drain out completely.
Cut paneer into 2-cm cubes and keep ready.
Boil onions in water. Do not use too much water. The amount of water should be just enough to cover the onions. Onions should become soft with as little water left behind as possible. This will prevent the flavour of the onions to leach out. Once cooled, make a paste in a blender.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and sauté green chillies, spinach and cashew nuts together till the leaves wilt and the raw smell of spinach goes away. Do not overcook.
Cool the wilted spinach completely and then puree it in a blender. If required, add some water.
Heat one and a half tablespoons of oil in the same pan. Add cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and fry them till you can smell the beautiful aroma of the spices.
Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell evaporates.
Add the boiled onion paste and cook till the onions blend nicely with the ginger-garlic paste.
Next, add the tomatoes and a little bit of salt and cook stirring frequently. The tomatoes will become mushy and the oil will start separating from the masala.
Add the pureed spinach and a few tablespoons of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add paneer and mix well. Season with salt.
Crush Kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle on it. Add garam masala powder, mix well and remove from heat.
Now, here is my twist…… Heat ghee in a small pan to the smoking point. Add chopped garlic and whole red chillies and let them sizzle. You have to be quick; be careful not to allow the garlic and red chillies to burn but to turn the garlic into light golden colour.
Pour the fried garlic and red chillies along with the ghee on top of the finished Palak Paneer. This tadka (tempering) imparts an amazing smoky flavour to the dish infusing it with the heavenly bouquet of fried garlic and the pungency of red chillies.
Garnish with fresh cream.
Serve fresh with chapatis or naan or jeera rice.
Is Palak Paneer healthy?
Now that I have shared my recipe, it’s time to destroy the myth about Palak Paneer. Is Palak Paneer healthy?
Well, there is nothing called “a HEALTHY Palak Paneer recipe“. Those who are saying so are taking you for a ride. Whether it is restaurant-style Palak Paneer or dhaba-style or easy-style Palak Paneer recipe or home-style, rest assured there is not an iota of health in Palak Paneer.
Both spinach and paneer are excellent sources of essential nutrients when consumed independently; but when combined everything goes for a toss.
Paneer is rich in calcium and protein and low in carbohydrates, while spinach, a green leafy vegetable is a rich source of iron, vitamins A, E and K, folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids.
So, the perfect logic should have been that our Desi Popeye gulping down cans after cans of spinach would have done better had he gorged on bowls full of Palak Paneer instead. But my hunch is he is a lot smarter than us.
Spices remind me of ancient civilisations - Spice houses don't know their spices - Know your chillies before cooking - Recipes with chillies
Spices remind me of ancient civilisations. Of the Indians and the Egyptians, of the Chinese and the Sumerians and of the medieval Europeans. There is some enigma and mysticism attached to spices. The Egyptians mummified their dead with cumin, the Chinese burnt cloves to commune with the spirit world, the Europeans of the dark ages believed nutmeg was the only cure for the Plague and the spice all Indians bathed in spices both literally and figuratively.
My encounter with spices took place at the unlikeliest of places. It was during the funeral of one of our neighbours. The widow of the poor deceased soul informed my Ma that lunch was being served in the next room and added apologetically, “The food is without spices; we are in mourning!” That was when I had my epiphany. Indian food without spices is heresy of the highest order, only to be tolerated if you are in mourning.
The anomaly of the Spice Trail
But what is known today as “Indian spices” was unheard of even a millennium ago. Chillies, which the world inextricably identifies with Indian food came to our shores only about 450 years back. Spices like coriander and fenugreek came from Egypt and Greece respectively and so did mustard seeds, nigella seeds, nutmeg and mace. India has embraced them all and has developed supremely sophisticated ways to use them in her regional cuisines. Such was the demand for spices that India is now the largest producer and consumer of spices in the world. Be it savoury, sweet, sour or bitter, nothing, absolutely nothing is complete without spices. Let alone food; we use spices as painkillers, as tranquilisers, as anti-depressants, as immuno-boosters, for dental health, for lightening skin tone, as aphrodisiacs and even as suppressants for libido. I can go on and on.
Saffron
Chilli
Coriander Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Turmeric
Nutmeg
Mace
Nigella Seeds
Black Pepper
Long Pepper (Pipli)
Saffron
Chilli
Chilli
Indian food is so steeped with spices that often it is the spice that defines a dish rather than the main ingredient. Considering how all-pervasive spices are, it is very surprising that we know so little about them. Ask a common grocer anywhere in the country where his chillies are coming from and he will answer with an indifferent shrug. Ask the spice seller of a spice shop where his carmine chillies are grown, he will reply confidently, “Kashmir”. Actually, it does not. What is known as “Kashmiri chillies” in the market are grown from seeds that at some point originated in Kashmir but have been grown for decades in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The most intriguing aspect of spices is its provenance vis-à-vis its use. Take the case of West Bengal. It is one of the largest consumers of poppy seeds in the country which grows nowhere near its borders. Or say saffron which grows only in Kashmir. Its use in Kashmiri cuisine is insignificant in comparison to the largely vegetarian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. So, how did spices travel? Frankly, I don’t know. It is this mystery and my fascination for understanding spices that forced me to dig deep and explore.
In my quest, I have pestered every chef that I could lay my hands on, travelled and met owners of spice stores and spice merchants, visited the spice auction markets of South India, sneezed and coughed and made my way with watering eyes through Khari Baoli in Delhi and interviewed home chefs and housewives. Yet, the insurmountable world of spice is so vast that the major part of it is still left unexplored. I believe it’s not a job that can be completed in one’s lifetime. So, let’s discuss today only about chillies. The reason being, chillies are the most prolific in their uses and are universally common in any Indian regional cuisine.
Chilli
Ask any ten people from any part of the world what they correlate with Indian food and nine of them will reply “Chillies”. They are not off the mark, though there are many wickedly hot dishes from many other parts of the world. This hottest and one of the most flavourful of all spices has been around since 7500 BCE. The earliest mention of chillies being used in any form of cuisine is in Mexico around 5000 BCE. Astonishing that chilli reached India only about 450 years ago. That also when the Portuguese brought it to Goa. What an irony that the Europeans introduced chillies to us presumably from Brazil! According to Lizzie Collingham, Pernambuco peppers started being grown in Goa. Their use grew exponentially southwards supplanting the extremely expensive black pepper and pipli (long pepper). The use of chillies moved northwards to Delhi and Agra only with the Marathas towards the end of the Mughal period.
The ubiquitous potato is undoubtedly the most loved vegetable - take the potato out of their lives and they would be gasping for breath.
The ubiquitous potato is undoubtedly the most loved vegetable- be it Europe, the Americas, Oceania or India with the possible exception of the South-East Asian countries. Without going into the debate whether the Portuguese introduced potatoes in India or if Wajid Ali Shah improvised his biryanis with potatoes as a novelty or because of his poor finances, the fact remains that India, notwithstanding her incredible variations of regional cuisines, cannot survive without her humble potatoes.
Talk about “batata” (the Portuguese word for potato) in Western India and you will have Batata Vada, Aloo Bonda, Batata Puri, Vada Pav, Batata nu Shak, all made out of the modest potato……… North India lives and dies by “Aloo” (as potato is known in most other parts of India). You start your day with Aloo Paratha or Aloo Puri, move on to lunch with Aloo Methi or Dum Aloo or Aloo Jeera or Aloo Palak. If you feel pangs of hunger in the evening, there is Aloo Chaat, Aloo Tikki, Aloo Burger to choose from. Lunch and dinner items are interchangeable……… Move East, and you see potatoes everywhere. Ask a Bong to shed his potatoes (both literally and figuratively) and you will be charged with losing your mental balance- the local parlance being “Apnar ki aloo-r dosh achhe?” (“Are you nuts?”). You will find potatoes in everything under the sun. Aloo Sedhho Bhaat (mashed potato-Bengali style with steamed/sticky rice)? Aloo; Mangsho-r Jhol/Murgi-r Jhol (Mutton Curry/Chicken Curry)? Aloo; Biryani? Aloo; Aloo Posto (a dish made with potatoes and poppy seeds)? Aloo; Aloo-r Chop (fritters made with spiced mashed potatoes)? Aloo; Shukto (a typical Bengali vegetable curry)? Aloo. The list is endless. Even, many of the fish recipes contain potatoes……… Down South? You still cannot get rid of potatoes. There can be no Masala Dosa without potatoes. You can even serve the bhaji without the crepe. Potato Roast, Potato Podimas, Urulaikizhangu Thokku, Avial- all must have aloo!
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
When the great polymath, Leonardo da Vinci said these words, he was definitely not thinking about potatoes. Perhaps the anatomy of The Vitruvian Man occupied his faculty. Yet, potato fits the bill perfectly. The halo around the unassuming potato glows in its simplicity. Like putty, you can sculpt it the way you want. It does not have the haughtiness of truffles or caviar, nor does it possess the snootiness of Kobe beef. Potatoes are like a jovial socialite, mingling with everyone and spreading cheer. A day without potatoes is a day better forgotten.
You may not quite associate it with what you call haute cuisine, but you simply cannot do without the allure of them in your daily life. The unpretentious home dishes made with potatoes bring the most joy. No fancy restaurant can match the scope of potatoes with that of the street food magicians. From the unheard-of-in-the-rest-of-the-world burger-patty made with potato, to aloo chaat, to the Puchka filling to potato salad, to potato raita, to mashed potatoes, to hash browns, to potato pizza, to fries, to potato soup, to roast potatoes with your steak, to Hasselback potatoes, to Lyonnaise potatoes, to Parmentier potatoes, to potato Vodka, to the Irish Poitin- can you name any other vegetable so prolific with its presence and possibilities?
Ask anyone, what his favourite vegetable is, and hardly any would say “potato”. But take the potato out of their lives and they would be gasping for breath. Such is its omnipresence and pervasiveness that we take it for granted. As simplicity defines potatoes, so are the dishes made out of them. I find the most unassuming potato recipes, the most fascinating, be it in our homes or around the street corner or at an unfancy local eatery. I never get tired of potatoes.
Aloo Kabli
Aloo Kabli– Now, don’t ask me if “Kabli” has anything to do with Kabul. I don’t know. What I know is it takes me back to my old school days when Kolkata was known as Calcutta to the anglophile. During our lunch break in school, we used to climb over each other’s heads just to get our share of Aloo Kabli from the bloke who used to be stationed just outside the perimeter of the school premises. Had he opened a fancy restaurant selling Aloo Kabli only and given it a fancy name like pomme de terre a la Calcutta, he would have been a millionaire by now. Thinly sliced triangles of boiled potatoes were tossed with chopped onions, chopped green chillies, chopped cucumber, mustard oil, cumin powder, some unearthly blend of spices, boiled black chickpeas, fresh tamarind juice, a few slivers of fresh coconut and salt and served in thonga (top-open packets made out of newspaper).
Sadly, after leaving Kolkata, I have never found such mouthwatering Aloo Kabli anywhere in India. In fact, I haven’t found Aloo Kabli at all. I keep preparing my own version occasionally though to keep my family happy and satisfied.
The taste buds of the majority of my Indian brethren and also to encourage the non-Indians who are brave enough to plunge themselves into the amazing repertoire of our regional cuisine, I am presenting 10 Indian non-veg breakfast ideas. Mind you, the egg is a non-veg item as per Indian standards.
Why 10 Indian non-veg breakfast ideas? India, the home of sages and Gandhi has long been marketed as a ‘country of non-violence. Therefore, ‘Indians are mostly vegetarians.’………..Nothing can be further from the truth.
Well, the cow-worshipper tag is still partly true in most parts of this ancient land; but the vegetarianism concept is utter nonsense throughout the annals of history. Any fool can find on an online search that 70%+ of the Indian population is non-vegetarian. Therefore, to satisfy the tastebuds of the majority of my Indian brethren and also to encourage the non-Indians who are brave enough to plunge themselves into the amazing repertoire of our regional cuisine, I am presenting 10 Indian non-veg breakfast ideas:
1. “Indian” French Toast
Mind you, the egg is a non-veg item as per Indian standards. Not to be confused with the classic sweet French toast, this Indian French Toast is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Yet, I would opt for this version every time over the classic one. It is savoury, cheesy and delightfully tasty.
Take a few square slices of bread and cut along the diagonals into triangles.
In a bowl, break eggs and whisk lightly and evenly with salt, thinly sliced onions, chopped green chillies, black pepper powder and a generous amount of grated hard cheese (any cheese like Gouda, Cheddar or even Amul will do).
Heat oil on a griddle to medium hot.
Dip the slices of bread, a few at a time in the egg mixture coating both sides evenly.
Shallow fry both sides on the griddle evenly to a light golden colour.
Serve hot. (Serving with grilled tomatoes adds an extra dimension).
2. Keema Roll/Wrap
Keema roll which is a wrap made with paratha and minced meat fillings is a wonderful breakfast idea, easy to make with leftovers, nutritious, filling and sinfully good to eat. If you are left over with last night’s keema curry, take it out of the fridge, put it on flame and dry out the excess gravy or moisture so that it becomes greasy and able to hold on its own when shaped into your palm. Or you can also make a fresh keema filling with Indian spices.
Roll paratha dough into circular parathas of 1/2-cm thickness.
Roast the parathas one at a time on a griddle on medium heat.
Place one paratha at a time on the griddle again and pour oil along the circumference of the paratha and shallow fry both sides flipping frequently.
Lower heat to the lowest and line the cooked keema on the paratha along the diameter of the paratha.
Add sliced onions and chopped green chillies. You may also add some veggies like diced cucumber, bell pepper, etc. Sprinkle some garam masala powder and add lemon juice to the keema.
Bring both the edges of the paratha on top of the keema such that it forms a baton, flip and remove.
Repeat the above process with the rest of the parathas.
Serve hot.
3. Shutki Maach Sandwich (Dried Fish Sandwich)
Shutki maach or dried fish may be gross and revolting to most but the brave souls of Bengal love their shutki maach for its flavour and fermented aroma (or odour?). I suggest making this sandwich only if you have cooked leftover shutki maach. However, let me guide you in making it from scratch. Dried Bombay Duck gives the best results for this sandwich.
For making the filling, wash the dried fish thoroughly and then cut them into 1-inch-long strips.
Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Reduce heat and add the fish strips. You cannot afford to be miserly with the amount of oil as it should be good enough to cover the fish completely when dipped in it for frying.
Add the same quantity of onion paste as that of the fish, garlic paste which should be one-tenth the quantity of onion paste and red chilli powder.
Let them cook in the oil on medium heat till almost 80% of the moisture evaporates, stirring occasionally.
By this time the mixture would attain a light brown colour. Adjust salt and cook for a few minutes more to the right consistency. It should neither be watery nor too dry and with enough moisture to just let you be able to smear evenly on a toast.
Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
The above process can be avoided if you already have leftover shutki maach.
Now take 1/2-inch-thick slices of any bread of your choice and toast them to a nice and crisp light golden colour.
Apply mayonnaise on one side of the toast, smear a thick layer of the cooked fish on top of it, place some onion rings on top, drizzle with the juice of a wedge of lemon, and cover with another mayo-ed slice of toast. Your Shutki Maach Sandwich is ready.
One of the greatest ironies of our times is that more often than not, mediocrity is celebrated and excellence is condemned. And the gastronomic world is no exception. Through my long epicurean journey,
One of the greatest ironies of our times is that more often than not, mediocrity is celebrated and excellence is condemned. And the gastronomic world is no exception. Through my long epicurean journey, I have come to understand that there is no replacement for putting your own senses to the test. Here I have endeavoured to review some of the best and the worst I have tasted at different eateries.
I have considered the standalone restaurants and delivery outlets only which are not too heavy on the middle classes’ pockets. Therefore, the five-star hotels do not qualify for this review.
The Best
1. Pa Pa Ya- Select Citywalk Mall, Saket, New Delhi–
There are very few restaurants in Delhi that serve modern Asian as well as Pa Pa Ya. When it opened its doors under “The Dome” in Select Citywalk Mall, it immediately became the talk of the town. With a huge setup of more than a hundred covers, cheerful modern décor, outstanding service by knowledgeable staff and under the guidance of the extremely gifted Zorawar Kalra, Pa Pa Ya became an immediate success story.
Alas, post-pandemic, it is now only a faint shadow of its former glorious self. Gone are the flamboyance, the cheerfulness of the place and the amazing array of dishes on the menu. However, the quality of the food on the truncated menu and the chef’s talent still remain unmatched. Some items to look out for are:
Lamb Rendang Curry
Shitake & Burrata Croquetas
Curry Leaf Peppered Calamari
Rock Shrimp Tempura
Kurabata Pork Spareribs
Shanghainese Style Pork Belly
An awesome collection of delicate Dim sums.
Smokehouse Deli- multiple outlets in Delhi-
This is a gem serving great European and American food at extremely competitive prices and portion sizes so huge that they can give the Americans a serious run for their money. Smokehouse had been serving consistently good food and I never had a bad meal, not even once. At the Saket outlet, they have shifted from their old location in DLF Avenue Mall to a new one in the same mall. This is one of the very few restaurants which has renovated, restructured and resurrected itself with a vengeance after the pandemic. Everything has changed for the better in the new setup. Service has become more attentive and efficient with a new look menu cooked and presented perfectly and with great care. Also came to know that they are sourcing most of the ingredients locally which I always encourage. I have had a flawless Fillet Mignon made with grass-fed buff meat (that I came to know later) grilled to a perfect medium-rare. SHD also has a dedicated healthy food section (whatever that means) in their menu describing them with such jargon as “Keto friendly”. Healthy or unhealthy, some of the items to die for are:Truffled Mac & CheeseCharcuterie PlatterSteak n ChipsFillet MignonEggs BenedictSHD Boss Club SandwichClassic Spanish OmeletteSmoked Lamb Shanks
Indians, at last, are warming up to gourmet cheese -Artisanal cheeses to shop for in India - Recipes with cheese -The amazing Roquefort
Indians, at last, are warming up to gourmet cheese. India is a smorgasbord of culture and food with more than a billion people and a billion things to eat. But had you asked us about cheese a few years back, you would have been confronted with an apathetic shrug or a deathly silence. Or worse, with a fake exuberance, “Oh! I love cheese!!”. If you cared to dig a little deeper, “Which cheese is your favourite?”; and eight out of ten times the answer would be “Amul”. Now, don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Amul. I quite like the brand, especially since they produce some wonderful dairy products. But, their cheeses are processed cheese, industrially produced and quite boring, although, in India, Amul had been synonymous with cheese for ages. However, since the last two years, the signs are indeed encouraging on the cheese front. Indians are cautiously opening up to the idea of artisanal or gourmet cheese.
To be fair to my Indian brethren, I was nowhere close to being a cheese-lover during my childhood. In fact, I hated cheese during my formative years when Amul was the only brand available. I used to be put off by the fermented odour of milk solids which to my utter disgust my older cousin used to love. She would devour them gleefully. She was a self-certified fashionista and I was a state-certified rube. Things came to a full circle in the later years though, but that is a different story.
Then came my sojourn at the catering college. Slowly but surely, I understood that the world of food was much more than chicken, mutton, pork, beef, fish and eggs. I read and learnt about European cuisine and how cheese came to be an integral part of European gastronomy. I found how Parmigiano-Reggiano entirely changed the dimension of a pasta dish; how the wine tasted so much better with Brie; how the Greek Feta lifted a dish as simple as mashed potatoes; how every cheese was different in texture, flavour, firmness, use and characteristic; and how aggressively the traditional cheese-makers of France and Italy guarded their secrets. It was a mindboggling world of passion and creativity. The most intriguing was the story of the famous Roquefort cheese of France which was the first AOC certified cheese. Now there are over forty cheeses that have been awarded the AOC status.
Roquefort and Me
Roquefort is a blue-veined cheese made from ewe’s milk. And mind you, not some stray ewes. These are blue-blooded ewes following strict mating standards to preserve their noble lineage. The cheese made from their milk is fermented inside the caves of the tiny town of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in France. Like any other blue cheese, Roquefort cheese is strewn with blue mouldy cavities and has a creamy mouthfeel interspersed with a grainy texture near the moulds. If you are a first-timer, I would advise you not to take a full bite of this formidable delicacy unless you wish to be kicked by a mule on your backside. You need to show some respect and understand the nuances of this cheese. So, take a pinch and savour it like aged wine.
Roquefort Cheese
Entrance to one of the caves of Roquefort
Roquefort cheese fermenting and ageing inside the caves
In France, Roquefort is called le fromage des rois et des papes (“the cheese of kings and popes”). The day I learnt that Roquefort was the favourite cheese of emperor Charlemagne, I decided that I must have the Charlemagne experience. Surprisingly, I didn’t need to wait too long. I started my work-life with one of the luxury hotels in Kolkata. The famous steel baron L.N. Mittal was hosting his daughter’s wedding at the hotel. He flew in every exotic food he could think of from all over the world. And of course, Roquefort was on the menu. Needless to say, I was waiting for this opportunity even if I had to steal. With the storekeeper as my partner in crime, I sneaked into the walk-in, tore open a pack and put an inch-cube of the stuff into my mouth and immediately spat out with disdain. I jumped like a cat on hot bricks. Till then, I had never had such disgusting food in my life. It was weird, wickedly pungent, gross and smelled like my own piss. How could a sane person spend a fortune on such an obscenity? But you know, I am nothing if I am not brave. I took the advice of the then F&B Manager and tried it again but in moderation, accompanied with some Concord grapes. It was a revelation! It was bliss! One should never judge wine, woman and cheese on one’s first encounter.
These days, blue cheese, even if it is not Roquefort is a standard ingredient in my pantry. And the best part is you can order it with the click of a button from the comforts of your home if you are residing in one of the big cities of India. There is a good number of big and small merchants dealing in artisanal food products who will be happy to deliver blue cheese to your doorstep.
Another Secret Recipe from my House …… Tangy Mashed Plantain. The idea of Mashed Plantain may sound a bit off; but let me assure you.
Another “Secret Recipe from my House” …… Tangy Mashed Plantain. The idea of Mashed Plantain may sound a bit off; but let me assure you, I am yet to meet anyone (who has tasted this) who has not sung superlative praises about this item. You can serve it as an accompaniment to steaks and grills or simply have it with chapati or as a side with dal. If you want to be more creative, you can add mashed paneer and make it into balls, deep fry them and dish out an amazing kofta in brown or white gravy.
Well, let me confess, the idea is not entirely my own. I had tasted a version of mashed plantain sometime somewhere (when and where? Let that be a secret) which I deconstructed, applied my own imagination and made this recipe my own. The key to this recipe is the balance between the sweetness of fried onions and the sourness from the lime juice.
Tangy Mashed Plantain
Ingredients
Plantain fruit (raw banana)- 6 nos. (each approx. 6-inch long)
Onions finely sliced- 150 g
Roasted Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Garlic cloves finely sliced- 5 nos.
Chopped green chillies- 2-3 nos.
Lime juice- of 1/2 lime
Salt- to taste
Mustard oil (for frying)- 45 ml + 15 ml (you can replace with refined oil)
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tsp
Method
Wash the plantains thoroughly and discard the stalk.
Cut the fruits into 2-inch-long chunks along with the skin and soak in brine for 10 minutes.
While they are getting soaked put some water in a Dutch oven and bring to boil. The amount of water should just be enough to cover the plantain chunks when you put them in the vessel.
Cover and cook them on low heat till the fleshy part becomes tender but not mushy- approx. 15 minutes. You can also use a pressure cooker to pressure cook the plantains for about two and a half to three minutes.
Drain out the water and let the cooked plantains cool down.
When they are sufficiently cooled, peel off the skins and discard. Mash the potatoes roughly with the back side of a fork. Do not bother if there are small bits of lumps. In fact, they add to the texture.
We are a community whose favourite pastime is gloating over our cuisine and culture and how the entire world is surreptitiously conspiring against us by denying us our rightful pole position in global gastronomy.
Nine out of ten Bongs seek solace “by eating”. We are a community whose favourite pastime is gloating over our cuisine and culture and how the entire world is surreptitiously conspiring against us by denying us our rightful pole position in global gastronomy. But all this, only after managing to squeeze out some time post hammering each other’s skulls over politics or offering unsolicited advice to our fellow neighbours, accompanied by endless rounds of tea. And I am no different, though, politics is not exactly my cup of tea. But poke me about food at your own peril. I can go on for hours if not days.
From my early childhood, I had been a certified carnivore and a fussy eater. Though I ate anything that crept, crawled or walked, I kept a safe distance from all kinds of fish except crustaceans. But crustaceans are not fish, anyway. I was appalled by those tiny, obstinate bones that used to stick to my gullet and hence decided fishes were not worth the trouble. Being an offspring of parents both of whom were unadulterated Bongs, and that too from erstwhile East Pakistan, I was despised by all and sundry for despising fish. And anyone who dared to read a few of my previous blogs would know that I had nothing but contempt for vegetables in general and vegans in particular. I was an abomination to my Bong ancestors. Disgraceful, as it may sound, as I grew older and especially after tying the betrothal knot, I obviously got domesticated and started compromising on stuff that I loathed once. And that included food. But. on the brighter side, I came to discover that I had been grossly unjust to fishes during my bygone years. Amazingly, I have come to even respect some of those godforsaken creatures.
From my earliest memories, I still recollect our household cuisinière. She was our Woman Friday and an excellent cook who could have easily given “Aunt Dahlia’s” chef Anatole a serious run for his money. She helped refine our tastebuds to such epic proportions that more often than not we found food prepared at other places way below par. And those were the first signs of my fussiness. Over the years I found that our family boasted of some unique recipes both simple and complicated. Many of those I have mastered myself and have given my own spin to adapt to the changing tastes. I must mention that my in-laws are also very rich with their own culinary variations, their exclusive blend of spices that I was unfamiliar with before marriage.
Method
Roughly chop the cleaned and deveined prawns, and apply little bit of salt and 15 ml of lime juice and rest for 15 minutes.
While the prawn is being rested, blanch the water spinach leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, pour in a colander to strain and immediately rinse the water spinach under cold running water. This will prevent it from overcooking. Now chop the water spinach.
Take a mixing bowl and mix together prawns, water spinach, onions, garlic, green chillies, salt, black pepper, the remaining lime juice, refined flour and one tablespoon mustard oil. Mix well nicely, cover the mixing bowl with a cling film and marinate inside the refrigerator for one hour.
Take it out of the refrigerator and allow the mixture to come to room temperature.
Now, wet your palms with water, make balls with the mixture and flatten each ball between your palms by applying mild pressure to form patties (like galouti kebab) of approximately one centimeter thickness and one-and-half inches diameter.
Heat 60 ml mustard oil to smoking point on a thick bottomed tawa (griddle). Reduce heat to medium-low and shallow fry the kebabs in batches till they form light brown and slightly crispy exteriors.
Arrange the kebabs on a platter, garnish with onion rings and serve hot with kasundi and lime wedges.
The Flavour Approach - 5 recipes that explain the science behind the art of cooking - Understand the science and cook like a pro.
The Flavour Approach ………………. Why granny’s cooking leaves you craving? There is some truth in the myth that you simply cannot match the brilliance and magic of your grandma’s culinary skills. The standard excuse is, she was a sly creature who never revealed the cryptic key to her secret recipes. Maybe, but not entirely. I bet, even if you coaxed her into divulging with her clandestine witchcraft, you would never be able to meet such exacting standards. Why? …………… Because she applied the scientific principles to her art through time-tested trial and error, although possibly not knowing the science behind it.
In this write-up, I shall try to explain the flavour approach through a few recipes to make you understand how by applying the basic principles of chemistry and techniques you can flourish by ending up with a product of consistent superlative quality. And I assure you, you will stand out from the rest of the crowd.
But before going into the recipes (click here to try my other recipes), we must understand our shortfalls. Let’s accept the undeniable. The real difference is the technique. And “technique” is the application of science. You cannot suddenly learn in a week what your grandma picked up after years in the kitchen. No, not even if you passed out with top grades from a renowned culinary college. Nor can you match the skills of a great chef like Imtiaz Qureshi or Ghulam Qureshi. Those blokes who hail from the family lineage of royal chefs of Lucknow picked up the techniques even before they could say “Mama”.
But there is a hack. Though they do not think it that way, the great traditional cooks always encrypt in the kitchen what can be decrypted by science. Understand the science and you can definitely be a better cook than what you had been.
The current trend of using fancy but deceitful words like “molecular gastronomy” or “molecular mixology” are nothing but devious marketing gimmickry by the charlatans and the dubious paid media. They confuse the public and enhance the optics to increase sales volumes without ever explaining how the molecules of different chemicals present in food and drinks interact under different circumstances to produce different colours, textures, flavours, aromas, etc.
The renowned food writer Harold McGee pioneered the science behind cooking techniques which was later popularised by the Michelin three-star chef Heston Blumenthal. And now, Nik Sharma of Indian descent has done a wonderful job. Nik’s work, thankfully, is not meant for the science geeks, but for the home cooks. Unlike McGee, Nik, instead of making the science too technical and impenetrable for the layman, has made it interesting and enjoyable. He says, “Flavour = Emotion + Sight + Sound + Mouthfeel + Aroma + Taste”. And I quite agree. The recipes I am sharing here have been tried and tested by me over many days. I can vouch that after I understood the science, and applying the same in practice I am a much better cook now than I was ten years back.
The Flavour ApproachIf you follow the right steps, you can make this rice dish extremely aromatic and flavourful. Always use aged Basmati; rice that is labelled at least one year old. Rinsing the rice gently removes the impurities and the fine dust of starch that is usually present. This starch, if present during cooking will produce a sticky texture which is not at all desirable. Frying the rice in oil and resisting the urge to stir the rice too much during cooking will give you fluffy fully cooked rice grains that are separate and delicately tender.Chop the herbs and grind the spices just before you cook. This will help produce a more intense fragrance and flavour from the herbs and spices. Frying the spices in hot oil aids release the aromatic chemicals.Add fresh lime juice towards the end of the preparation of this dish. If added early the acid will lose its citric aroma.Halloumi is a good substitute for paneer, as it is firm and will not disintegrate on heating. But, keep in mind, it is a bit salty. So, you may need to adjust your seasoning accordingly.
The Flavour ApproachHoney and pineapple provide a sweet counterpart to the warmer flavours in this dish.Keep pineapple and chicken separated until they are threaded onto the skewers. Raw pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain that breaks down the protein molecules into smaller peptides. If the chicken and pineapple are kept together in the marinade, the enzyme will break down the proteins in the chicken which will eventually affect the texture of the chicken once cooked. It will appear crumbly on the surface. But, once heated on the skewers the bromelain loses its capacity to break down the proteins.
Prepare the marinade in a small bowl by combining the lime juice, olive oil, honey, black pepper, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
To prepare the kebabs, pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and then cut them into 1.5-inch cubes.
Pour the marinade into a resealable bag, add the chicken cubes to it, seal the bag and then shake well to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to grill, remove the bag from the refrigerator and let the chicken come to room temperature.
Cut the pineapple, onion, and bell peppers into 2-inch dices and place them in a large bowl.
Add olive oil and black pepper, season with salt and toss to coat evenly.
Thread a skewer with onion, bell peppers and pineapple, alternating with the marinated pieces of chicken. Brush some marinade over the kebabs.
Heat a grill over medium heat and grease the grates with a little bit of oil.
Cook the kebabs in batches, turning and basting with any remaining marinade and oil.
When the kebabs get browned and charred in spots, transfer the kebabs with the skewers to a plate.
Cover the plate with aluminium foil and let it rest for two minutes for all the flavours to come through.
Discard the foil and garnish the kebabs with cilantro and serve hot with lime wedges on the side.
The above recipes are just a few examples of how the flavour approach works. The art of cooking lies in its science. For us, who have so much exposure to online information, the task is much simpler than that of our grandmas. Yet, our grandmas scored more. I do not buy the argument that they had so much time to spare. If you have the passion, you would manage your time.
The difference between good cooking and great cooking is not about recipes but lies in the hands of the chef. Or, in our case that of our grandmas.
Are you controlling your kitchen cost? - Follow these simple steps and save 30% of your kitchen cost - How to plan a zero-wastage party
Are you controlling your kitchen cost? Well, you may think so. But you need to relook. Food and beverage (F&B) Controls is my bread and butter, both literally and figuratively. F&B operations which broadly includes food and beverage production and service, is a significant contributor towards revenue generation and commerce in the hospitality business, be it through the mainstream hotels or through restaurants or other allied points of sale such as airports, train terminals, etc.
However, I am not here to wear you out with the technicalities of F&B Controls. I am going to suggest how you can apply some of these principles in your home or kitchen to spend wisely on food and reduce wastage without compromising on the end result of your mouthwatering recipes.
Before I discuss the controls procedures that you should follow to make use of your hard-earned money optimally, it would be a good idea to provide you with some basic fundamentals of F&B Controls. No business can last long without making a profit. Therefore, when we talk about sales and profit, there must be some costs involved. Unlike engineering goods, food materials are highly perishable and once they cross their shelf lives, any possible revenue from them is lost forever. During our Catering College days, we were taught that “room” is the most perishable product since revenue lost from an unsold room any day can never be recovered. True- by logic. But my sympathies are always with the F&B department. So, it pains me when I notice that a preventable loss is not prevented for whatever reasons.
Here comes F&B Controls. F&B Controls is an indispensable process that monitors the movement of food and beverages from the time they are purchased to the time they are consumed by the guests. This section is also the “anti-corruption wing” of any F&B outlet. A well-developed controls mechanism ensures a healthy bottom-line for an organisation without compromising on guest satisfaction. Whereas, with a “chalta hai” system, it’s digging one’s own grave.
A definite performance indicator of an F&B outlet is the F&B cost percentage. The formula is very simple: – Cost of the product / Sale of the product x 100 = F&B Cost %. Although the formula is simple, the process is much more complex in the industry and no job for a fresher.
Nonetheless, if you follow some simple steps and apply logic in your day-to-day kitchen affairs, you will ensure a saving of 25-30% which astonishingly most of us do not care to give a thought.
How to purchase
Are you controlling your kitchen cost while purchasing? Purchasing is the first step towards initiating the controls process whether it is in the restaurant business or on the domestic front. What to purchase? When to purchase? How to purchase? Now, here I am not talking about bargaining with your grocer or the fishmonger. What all must you keep in mind while purchasing? In addition to checking the shelf life of a product, the following points you must consider:
Always use seasonal ingredients– Vegetables and fruits which are in season are not only of superior quality, but also cheap. So, it’s common sense that we use seasonal varieties and select our menu and recipes accordingly. They also have greater health benefits.
Choose specifications according to your purpose– Even in season, you will find different specifications of the same product. For instance, you will find various kinds of tomatoes in the market- red, ripe and soft, semi-firm, sweet and soft, sour and firm, large or small. Decide as required for your end product? If you want to make a sauce like Marinara, you would need red and ripe sweet tomatoes like San Marzano which are high in umami. But, if you want to assemble a burger, a better option will be Beef Tomatoes. Therefore, your purpose must define your purchase or selection.
Understand “Yield”– One of the most critical parameters for effecting efficient controls is understanding yield and wastage. The more the wastage, the less the yield. For almost all kinds of food materials there are two types of processing losses; one during the pre-cooking stage, that is thawing, cutting, trimming, etc. and the other during cooking. There is hardly any scope for reducing cooking loss, but reducing wastage during pre-cooking processing is entirely possible. You can check here to understand how yield test is done in F&B outlets. So, what can you do to get maximum return?
While purchasing your vegetables or fruits, select those of larger size, unless you require smaller ones for specific purposes. It reduces trimming loss. A simple way to test is to weigh out 200g each of large and small onions. Slice them to equal thickness and weigh the sliced onions separately. You will find the yield higher for the large onions. Can you guess how much you can save in a month if you choose the size correctly?
Choose your kitchen equipment wisely and maintain properly. Faulty equipment can increase wastage drastically. Are you using the correct knife? Is your knife sharp enough? Is your peeler scraping off the pulp along with the skin? Do you have the skill to fillet the fish? Are you maintaining your food processor well?
Be careful while purchasing frozen food, especially meat. When you defrost frozen food, you will always encounter thawing loss. On an average 20% thawing loss can be attributed to frozen meat. The manufacturers of frozen food induce moisture during packing to help prevent it from drying up during freezing. The gross weight mentioned on the packet is the weight including the moisture. When you thaw the product this moisture which was interspersed as ice melts away, giving you less usable quantity. Unscrupulous manufacturers often induce too much moisture to make larger profits. Most renowned manufacturers mention the thawing loss in the forms of gross weight and net weight. Avoid using frozen products if the fresh version is available.
Use all your five senses while buying, processing and cooking.
Manage your food waste
Food waste management is very important when it comes to keeping food costs under control. Do not discard all your trimmings and wastes into the bin; use them wherever possible. You can make stocks from bones and meat trimmings and even vegetable trimmings. Cool the stock and freeze in ice-cube trays which you can take out later, melt it and use to make soups, sauces and gravies. You may also make vegetable purees from the trimmings and add in soups or gravies. Stocks and purees enhance the flavour of a dish manifold. Use trimmings and scraps to make pickles, sausages, burger patties, pies, croquettes.
How to store
Foodservice operations are extremely fussy about storage and rightly so. They invest a huge share of their capital to build storage facilities as per their requirement. Unfortunately, we, in our homes and kitchens do not pay much heed to the same. A little bit of knowledge, care and respect for our food and drinks can go a long way towards reducing wastage significantly. Are you controlling your kitchen cost while storing? Although we may not be able to achieve the exacting standards of the industry, we may still save a lot if we are more careful with the way we store:
Store your dry foods in a clean and cool place away from the heat and dampness of the kitchen. Always store and rotate stock using FIFO, that is, using the items in the ascending order of their expiry/best before dates. The lowermost rack of the shelves must be at least 6-inches above the floor.
For refrigerated storage, 4⁰C is considered the safe temperature, known as “critical control point”. However, refrigerators for home-use have different temperature zones for storing different food items. Follow the recommendations of the manufacturer.
Store raw products below, never above, your cooked or ready-to-eat products.
Never put hot foods in the refrigerator; always allow them to attain room temperature before putting inside the refrigerator.
The fat in dairy products has a tendency to absorb strong odours from the storage surroundings. To reduce the likelihood of this happening, store dairy products in their own demarcated area in protective coverings.
Some food items like potato, onion, banana, etc. do not require refrigeration and should be stored at higher temperatures.
Meat, poultry and seafood are the most expensive food items. Naturally, therefore, they require special care while storing. All these products must be properly wrapped and stored at -18⁰C or lower. Most modern refrigerators are equipped to maintain such low temperatures. Wrapping is necessary to prevent freezer burn. Freezer burn spoils the texture and flavour of the food. Again, you must follow FIFO for stock rotation.
It is never advisable to refreeze a food item after thawing. Not only does the process leach out moisture, it also promotes bacterial growth as thawed food develops harmful bacteria faster than fresh food. Hence, a better way to freeze products is to divide them into smaller batches and then freeze.
How to plan a zero-wastage party
You must have wondered, why more often than not you are left with so many leftovers after you had hosted a party at your place. The answer is a no-brainer. Nothing can be more embarrassing than finding ourselves in a situation where we fall short of food before the party is over. As a result, we indulge in overpreparing ourselves for the occasion, spend foolishly and often end up throwing away food that cannot be reused. Are you controlling your kitchen cost while cooking for a party? With a little bit of planning, you can achieve wonderful results.
What makes food so enjoyable - “smell” precedes every other aspect of the flavour equation - sounds can influence the perception of flavour
What makes food so enjoyable? I have often wondered! Is it only about the tastebuds? As I began my journey for my quest and poked more and more into the matter, I concluded that the answer is not so simple if not entirely elusive. Our brains receive chemical and electrical signals from our sensory organs and then use a highly sophisticated mechanism of reward or aversion to different flavours. At the fundamental level, a sweet taste creates a reward while bitter food induces aversion. Well, we all learned it the hard way. During our childhood, we abhorred our mothers when they shoved neem-pata-bhaja (fried neem leaves) down our throats but eagerly waited for our fathers to come home on their paydays when they would ring the bell dangling a bar of milk chocolate in their hands.
What makes food so enjoyable- Emotion
“Food is an emotion”. To me, it is some out-of-this-world simple dish of ilish (Hilsa) used to be prepared by my mami (wife of my maternal uncle, not to be confused with mummy, the anglicized version of mother) that has been etched in my memory forever. Many a time even with a full belly I could not resist the urge to devour a few spoonfuls of bhat (steamed rice) with ilish machh (Hilsa can never really define Ilish if you know what I mean) when we used to frequent her place. To date, I have not come across a single soul who could unravel the subtle nuances of the proverbial fish to such epic proportions. Such was her wizardry that perhaps she could even make you long for her neem-pata-bhaja had she wished. On the downside, I have stopped trying to replicate her recipe as I have at last concluded that there’s no point. That does not mean others were or are lesser mortals. I have had amazing dishes of vegetables and meat made by many of my parental relatives. But, if you ask me to choose between the best chef in the world and my mami on my way to heaven, mami will make the list hands down. I believe the “emotion” factor plays the biggest part here like our first love. And most of us have that one mami or mashi or thakuma who has defined the way we eat.
My affinity towards matters of the kitchen started early, when I was five or six years old, I guess. When I was not at school or was not playing a game of cricket or football with my friends, you would have often found me latching onto my mother’s anchol (the loose end of a saree), quite literally and following her into the kitchen like a duckling. I was fascinated by the way she rolled the chapatis. How a ball of dough was flattened and rolled with dexterous hands such that it spun on its own and formed a perfect circle! That was the first instance that inflamed my passion for food that I can recollect. I practised and practised till I mastered the technique in not more than a week. Since then, whenever there was a large gathering at our place, I would be summoned to roll the chapatis and I did it with a lot of pride. Thankfully, gender bias was nonexistent in our family and I never had to face the misconstrued insult of doing a lady’s job.
Smell
In my early childhood through my adolescence, I kept a healthy distance from vegetables and fish. I was admonished frequently for the simple fact that; despite being born a Bengali I detested fish. But, as you have guessed correctly, we Das-es are a stubborn lot. I found the fish bones vexing and the fishy smell obnoxious. My Ma, like all mothers with the noblest intentions in her mind, would often mix little bits of fish into various kinds of vegetables and make bora (fritters) out of those to make me consume that masked abomination, but I would unearth her wicked scheme almost immediately. She couldn’t fathom that I had already developed an extremely delicate nose. You must be confused; then how did I enjoy my mami’s ilish machh. The obvious answer is, that it was mami’s magic in her hands and her sheer brilliance in the kitchen. Ilish or Hilsa, if you would like to call it made by my mami was the only fish I could not resist.
Through my years of experiments with food, I have deduced that “smell” precedes every other aspect of the flavour equation. Can you ever forget the intoxicating whiff of fresh bread when you passed by your favourite bakery? Or the heady aroma of chocolate from your nearest confectionary?
I still dream about those lazy Sundays in Calcutta (I still prefer Calcutta to Kolkata) when you could hear the faint silky jingles by Srabanti Majumdar on “Boroline er Songsar” (the World of Boroline) when the only station available on the radio was that of All India Radio. Just as we learned in our school about the conditioned reflex of a salivating dog in response to a ringing bell, “Boroline er Songshar” made me salivate. Those jingles were synonymous with the all-pervading bouquet of mangsho (mutton curry) emanating from every other household. Again, it was the “smell” that was the prelude to a heavenly afternoon meal.
Sometimes I miss the Kalbaishakhis (Nor’westers) and the heavy monsoons of Calcutta as I live in Delhi, where the weather is generally dry for the better part of the year. When the first drops of rain hit the parched earth, the “fresh rain” aroma called petrichor reminds me of Khichudi (the typical rich and spicy Bengali hodge-podge of rice and lentils) and dim-bhaja (a Bengali style omelette) which is virtually indispensable on a rainy day in a Bengali household. Petrichor comes from a combination of plant oils, ozone and geosmin, a compound secreted by actinomycete soil bacteria whose spores are released when rainwater falls.
The role of smell in building our appetite is undeniable.
What makes food so enjoyable- Sight
Once the prelude of smell whets the appetite sight takes over. I still recall my trips to Manali when the bus would stop at a place called Mandi in the lap of the Himalayas. The local farmer’s market was a sight to behold. It presented a vast spectrum of colours and shapes, bright green and red bell peppers, fresh-picked mushrooms, bundles of scallions, turnip and cucumber, bright red cherries and apples adorned the stalls. It is bound to entice your attention if you happen to pass through the place.
The rising popularity of images of food and cooking videos on social media is perhaps the most powerful testaments to the impact of visuals on eating. Yet the old saying, “Proof of the pudding is in the eating” holds true. Not everything that tastes delicious looks good. That’s where the role of garnish comes in. A few sprigs of fresh parsley or coriander or mint or microgreens add freshness to the dull colours of some food and makes them extremely appealing to the eyes.
Even geometric shapes influence the perception of flavour. In a study of people’s responses to shapes, participants preferred curved shapes over angular edges. The reason could be that sharp edges like the sharp serrated edges of a knife triggered a signal of threat and danger. There are some exceptions though. Cadbury once introduced a chocolate bar with circular edges instead of their regular rectangular shape. Consumers began complaining. They thought the circular bars tasted too sweet, though the company claimed that they did not change the recipe at all. Sweetness is often associated with curved shapes and bitterness with angular shapes. Can you recall how many times you have been served a Crème Brûlée or Crème Caramel in a rectangular shape? None, I guess. In the case of chocolates, a bitter note is prized by most consumers.
The relation between sight and perception of flavour is intricate. But by innovating and playing with the way food is presented to the eater, chefs have opened up new and exciting opportunities for stimulating our senses and providing unique gastronomic experiences.
